How to be flood ready

With heavy rainfall in the Okanagan and mudslides already closing roads, the Central Okanagan Regional District (CORD) Emergency Operations wants to make sure Okanagan residents are prepped and ready for a flood.

CORD advises any residents who live near water systems or have had flooding issues in the past to have a stockpile of sand bags on hand so you're ready when the time comes.

Many local fire halls have sand bags available for pick-up, however, residents need to provide the sand.

For more information on how to build a sand bag dike, check out this video.

In order to be up-to-date on the latest advisories, watches and warnings, the BC Ministry of Environment posts its updates at the BC River Forecast Centre.

CORD also advises residents to keep pets and young children back from water systems as the volume of water is rising higher and moving faster at this time of year.

Boaters should also watch for any sort of floating debris that may come up unexpectedly.

Prepared BC has put out a list of resources to make sure you and your family are prepared if a flood takes place near your home.